Pierre Sage is no stranger to using young talents as he prepares for life at Crystal Palace.
The Frenchman gave Ismaelo Ganiou – now a target for Crystal Palace – his Ligue 1 debut for RC Lens at the age of just 20 years, six months and 20 days, also throwing Mezian Mesloub into a match last season at the age of only 16 years and six months.
It bodes well for the likes of David Ozoh and Danny Imray at Selhurst Park next season after their impressive loan spells at Derby and West Brom respectively.
As The Athletic now state that Nathaniel Clyne is set to leave Crystal Palace as a free agent this summer, we believe Sage is going to rely on Imray as the backup option to Daniel Munoz.
Initial thoughts on Pierre Sage? 🤔
He can boast a 67.5% win ratio from 40 games at RC Lens 😍
Why Danny Imray is now in line for a breakthrough at Crystal Palace
The 22-year-old enjoyed a fantastic 2025/26 campaign for two different clubs.
Imray started the season on loan at Blackpool in League One, where he scored two goals and provided two assists in just 13 appearances from right-back.
So impressive were his efforts for the Tangerines, Crystal Palace recalled the Londoner and sent him on a different loan to West Brom in the Championship during the winter transfer window, where he maintained his level in a tougher division with one goal and two assists in 16 appearances.
The Baggies embarked on a ten-game unbeaten run once Imray had broken into the starting XI.
Imray operates in a very similar manner to Munoz down the right flank, regularly bursting forward to support the attack, but also possessing the energy levels required to do his job defensively too.
In the 2025/26 Premier League season, Munoz averaged 0.9 shots per game and 0.9 key passes every 90 minutes, according to WhoScored. Imray recorded 0.8 key passes per game in the Championship and 0.5 shots per game, which shows his willingness to go forward like the Colombia international – albeit at a slightly lower level of competition.
The Daily Mail have also claimed that Crystal Palace are not targeting a new right-back this summer, as the Eagles prioritise finding a central defender, centre-midfielder and an attacking midfielder.
That only adds to our belief that Sage will give Imray an opportunity to replace Clyne.
The marauding right-back has never made a competitive appearance for the Eagles despite racking up 52 games for the Crystal Palace U21 side.
Imray scored six goals and provided 13 assists in those games.
However, it feels like the pieces are now falling into place for the man born in Harold Wood to finally get a chance to play for Crystal Palace.
